(course # 3.12)

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Student Profile

This course is designed for students who have successfully completed the basic level and the first part of the intermediate level of German and who have a sound knowledge of German at the B1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Course Objectives

Within four weeks, this course will help you to expand your competences in speaking and writing while emphasizing self-correction. Furthermore, it will help you to increase your vocabulary, to deepen grammar usage, and develop effective reading and listening strategies.

In addition, you will analyze and interpret cultural, political, and historical topics in German-speaking countries and compare them with your own cultural background.

By the end of the four-week course you will have developed and regularly use new strategies for language acquisition.

You will be able to engage in detailed discussions on above mentioned topics.

Furthermore, you will have developed reading strategies that will allow you to understand different text types in detail.

In addition, you will improve your essay writing skills, i.e. you will be able to write short texts on different topics, revise and proofread them.

Textbook

Literary texts and supplemental materials in consultation with the course instructor.

Daily Lesson and Excursion

Lessons take place Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. On two class days during the term you will go on a course-related excursion.

Attendance

Each class consists of six teaching modules (45 minutes each). If you miss 8 modules (unexcused), your entire course grade will drop by one grade. Coming more than 20 minutes late counts as missing a module (this also applies to excursion days). If you come late to class six times (up to 20 minutes) your entire course grade will also drop by one grade. If you miss 20 modules, you will fail the class.

Active Participation

We expect committed and consistent interest in the acquisition of the German language. You will prove this by participating constructively and productively in the lessons and excursions, completing homework assignments and being prepared for every class. Every student is expected to respect the ideas and comments of his/her peers.

Oral Presentation

You will prepare a ten-minute oral presentation. It is important that you prepare and explain for your presentation relevant vocabulary beforehand (max. 10) and that you give your peers a specific assignment. Furthermore, it is important that you speak freely rather than reading the oral presentation and that you keep to the time allowed.

Essay

In this course you will write one essay (font size 12, double-spaced, 250 – 300 words). Your teacher will mark potential errors as such and you are required to correct your essay and hand in a second corrected version. For the first version of your essay you can obtain a maximum of 100 points; for the second version you will receive up to 50% of the missing points. When writing your essay, you will strive first and foremost for clarity (organization and style) and accuracy (grammar and syntax). You are encouraged to incorporate complex constructions, but please concentrate on syntactic and grammatical accuracy.

Reflective Journal

Throughout the term you will write various journal entries – independently or on given topics – to reflect on certain aspects of your stay in Berlin. Your instructor will collect these creative exercises and comment the content. However, no corrections will be made. The aim of the journal is that you learn how to express a critical and self-reflective position in a linguistically creative way.

Midterm and Final Exam

You will take a midterm and a final exam consisting of the following sections: listening comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension and composition based on course themes.

Group Project

Together with two or three peers you will prepare a creative and linguistically demanding oral presentation of approximately 10 minutes about your impressions of Berlin (funny, bizarre, interesting facts etc.). The projects (sketches, parodies, PowerPoint presentations, movies, songs, poems etc.) will be presented on the last day of class. Most importantly, every group member should play an active role in the presentation, i.e. should receive an equal amount of speaking time during the presentation.

Evaluation

Active participation and homework 300 points

Oral presentation 100 points

Essay 100 points

Reflective journal 100 points

Midterm exam 150 points

Final exam 150 points

Group project 100 points

Maximum score: 1,000 points

Official FUBiS Grading Scale

Freie Universität Berlin

grading

Recommended

US grade

Points

(German classes only)*

1,0

A

1000 – 970

1,3

A

969 – 920

1,7

A-

919 – 900

2,0

B+

899 – 880

2,3

B

879 – 830

2,7

B-

829 – 800

3,0

C+

799 – 780

3,3

C

779 – 730

3,7

C-

729 – 700

4,0

D

699 – 680

failed (> 4,0)

F

< 680

*The final grade in the German language classes is determined by the points achieved at the end of the course.